Artillery Adjutants, Generals and others

By Stephen Heap

In this the last article in the series, I will illustrate some lesser known artillery uniforms viz., Prussian, Bavarian and Austrian artillery Adjutants, a Bavarian artillery General, plus a few other artillery uniforms.
    The figure at top left of the colour plate opposite illustrates the uniform of a Prussian artillery adjutant. The uniform was as for a mounted artillery officer, the head-dress was a bicorn instead of the shako and the bicorn was fitted with a green feather plume. The officer is shown with a map case over the left shoulder and the two detail drawings show the epaulette and coat tails.
    The figure at top centre depicts a Bavarian artillery adjutant wearing the uniform of the horse artillery; here again his head-dress comprises a bicorn fitted with a white over pale blue feather plume, which replaced the regimental head-dress. The officer is wearing cavalry overalls to protect the dark blue breeches. The sash, as for all Bavarian Adjutants* is worn over the right shoulder. The lace on the collar indicates rank, in this case that of a captain.
    The figure at top right illustrates an Austrian horse artillery adjutant. The adjutant's sash in the Austrian army was worn over the left shoulder and was for all officers of yellow and black silk; only Generals wore a sash of gold and black. The small drawing shows the officer's sword/sabre knot:- black and gold. The detail drawing on the left of the Bavarian adjutant shows the scale epaulette, as worn by the Bavarian horse artillery.
    The illustration on the bottom left of the colour plate shows the uniform of the Prussian Gewehr — Handwerker — Kompanie (artillery artificers) who wore from 1811 the uniform of the foot artillery but with black, red edged shoulder straps; see detail drawing. The shako was decorated with the black and white Prussian cockade instead of the brass three flamed grenade worn on the shako of Prussian foot artillery gunners.
    The figure at bottom centre illustrates the uniform of a Bavarian artillery General and shows the special General's lace on the collar and cuffs. All Bavarian Generals had a white feather edging to the bicorn plus broad silver lace edging on the bicorn; this lace edging was gold for Generals of Artillery. Also generals had silver lace on the lapels of the coatee but artillery, Generals had lapels without lace. The small drawing shows the coat tails. The silver and pale blue sash was abolished in the Bavarian army in 1812 but continued to be worn by Generals, General and flugel adjutants, line adjutants and General Staff officers. Bavarian Officers' sword knots were silver and pale blue.
    The figure at bottom right shows a Russian foot artillery officer in walking out dress; in this order of dress the bicorn was worn instead of the shako and the gorget and sash were not worn. Infantry officers in walking out dress are shown with green breeches instead of white so perhaps foot artillery officers could also wear green breeches when in walking out dress. The detail drawing shows the officers' epaulette.
    The wash drawings illustrate Russian foot and horse artillery gunners both in barracks dress c.1812. The man on the right is from the horse artillery and is wearing the grey cavalry overalls; both figures are wearing dark green coatees with black collars and cuffs piped red, the foot artillery gunner has green cuff patches also piped with red and all buttons are brass (the overall buttons are covered in grey cloth) while the caps in 1811 are dark green with black bands and red piping. The shoulder straps are red with yellow numbers. All figures in the colour plate are c. 1814-15 except for the Prussian Artillery Artificer who is of c. 1811.
    My sources for this series were as follows:-
Formations und Uniformierungsgeschichte des — Preuſischen Heeres 1808-1914 Vol. 2. Paul Pietsch.
Handbuch der Uniformkunde. Knotel — Sieg.
The Bavarian Army 1800-1873. Plates 1, 35, 36, Camtler.
Uniformenkunde, various plates. Knotel.
Les vrais soldats de Napoleon. Jean-Claude Quennevat.
French Napoleonic Artillery. Michael Head.
Various uniform plates, drawings etc.

*Bavarian General and flugel adjutants wore the sash round their waists, not over the right shoulder.

Source: pp. 214-215, Military Modelling, April 1976.

Other 19th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers